Prawn sandwich

Gothenburg, my home town, is the second largest city in Sweden. It has a lot to offer, city life, a charming old town, the sea, the largest amusement park in the Nordics and an archipelago just to mention a few things.
One of my favorite Swedish summer foodie memories is from the Gothenburg archipelago and the island of Smögen. It is only about an hour from where I grew up so we used to make day trips there and eat a prawn sandwich. They are famous and such a treat!
There are a few rules about prawn sandwiches, they should be on rye or sourdough bread, there has to be a hard boiled egg, mayonnaise and cold water prawns. Cold water prawns have a different texture and are slightly saltier as they come from the sea. A key thing is that there are plenty of them.

It is British Seafood week and today is Prawns.
- Friday 4: Mackerel
- Saturday 5: Prawns
- Sunday 6: Plaice
- Monday 7: Scallops
- Tuesday 8: Mussels
- Wednesday 9: Hake
- Thursday 10: Crab
- Friday 11: Haddock, cod and pollock for fish & chips
I brought my prawn sandwich to celebrate. I bought the prawns shell on. Prawn shells makes a great base for a soup and I did prawn soup and sandwich.
I had a beetroot that needed using up so I added this to the soup without thinking it through. Next time I will leave the beetroot out as it gave the soup a slightly strange color. It sort of made me think of Bridget Jones’ blue soup.
Prawn soup
preparation time 15 minutes
cooking time 15 +20 minutes
serves 2
Ingredients
- 400-500 gr 14-17 oz shell on prawns
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 celery stalks, chopped fine
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped fine
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 leek, sliced
- 1 lemon (unwaxed) sliced
- 6 dl or 3 cups fish stock
- oil for cooking
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 dl or 1/4 cup cream
Shell the prawns and save the heads and shells.

Chop the vegetables and heat oil in a pan.
When the oil is hot add the prawn shells and fry until they start to brown. Then add the tomato puree and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the vegetables and the fish stock and bring to a boil. Add the sliced lemon and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until slightly reduced.

Pass through a fine sieve and place the stock in a clean pan. Add the cream and taste with salt and pepper. Make sure it is piping hot.
Arrange the prawns in a soup plate and add the soup.

The color of the soup was a little strange but it was delicious.
I didn’t eat the sandwich in the sunshine by the sea in Smögen but it tasted just the way I remembered and it is still a treat.
Happy seafood week!
I’m loving this! 🍤🌿
hi Gail
Thank you. It is one of my favorite treats 🙂